Conference back40::soapbox

    Following the debacle when the Vatican allied itself with
    fundamentalist Islamic regimes to derail the widespread international
    consensus on measures to curb population pressures at the international
    conference on population last year, they're now lining up with China to
    try to prevent certain delegates from gaining admission to this year's
    conference.  China, where woman pregnant with a second child are forced
    to have abortions; real consistency in their methods, those Vatican-
    dwellers; aligned with those who mutilate women's genitals last year, 
    and with those who force abortions even of their wanted fetuses.  They'll 
    never learn.
    
    Maybe I should have put this in the fundamentalist wacko topic.
    
    DougO
    -----
    China, Vatican seek gag on women's conference
    
    New York Times
    
    UNITED NATIONS -- Six months before an international conference on
    women opens in Beijing, the Chinese government and the Vatican are
    maneuvering to silence critics by asking the United Nations to deny
    them credentials to attend the meeting.
    
    At least 200, possibly up to 300, non-governmental groups have been
    affected, according to American officials and human rights
    organizations.
    
    Among those being denied the necessary documents to attend are
    Taiwanese and Tibetan exile women's organizations, which China wants
    barred, and several religious groups, including Catholics for a Free
    Choice, which opposes the Vatican's stand against abortion.
    
    The Vatican's observer mission here acknowledged Thursday that it had
    challenged the credentials of certain groups but declined to explain
    why, according to the Rev. Carl J. Marucci, a mission spokesman. Calls
    to the Chinese mission were not returned.
    
    Representatives of some conservative groups, secular and
    interdenominational, were also refused credentials initially, said
    Christopher J. Check of the Rockford Institute's Center for the Family
    in America in Rockford, Ill., which describes itself as a traditional
    organization supporting family life. Some of these groups, including
    Rockford, which had been turned down because they were told they were
    not sufficiently focused on women's issues, have now been admitted on
    appeal.
    
    Several gay organizations report that their delegates had also been
    turned down after applying for credentials.
    
    The Clinton administration is pressing the U.N. Secretariat to reveal
    the names of groups and individuals being denied credentials, and to
    explain the grounds for rejection, American officials say. The United
    States has also called for the establishment of an international
    committee to review denials.
    
    The dispute over free access to the Beijing meeting -- where issues of
    women's rights in health, education, politics and economic development
    will be discussed -- follows a confrontation last week in Geneva
    between China and the United States over a resolution at the U.N. Human
    Rights Commission critical of China's human rights practices.
    
    Published 3/17/95 in the San Jose Mercury News.

    
     The whole Conference should be scrapped. A big waste of time and
     money.
    
     Paul
    

    
    
    Wonder if the "Feminist Majority" will be allowed to attend?

    I'd like to see the UN get a swift kick in the behind.  That's what
    I'd like to see.  
    
    US out of UN.  We don't need the UN for anything.

    
     Actually, I see no harm in the conference, as long as its conclusions
    are ignored.
    
     And as for the UN, I see no harm in that either, as long as we don't
    supply them any troops.  I'd throw the bums a dime.  The world needs
    a house of talk.
    
     bb

    I agree the world needs a house of talk, but when that house of talk
    changes to making policy which circumvents our laws, it's time to
    change things.
    
    It's nice to get together and say we love our children.  When they
    try and dictate policy about how I, personally, am going to raise my
    children, they can get bent.
                                                        

>    <<< Note 348.6 by VMSNET::M_MACIOLEK "Four54 Camaro/Only way to fly" >>>
>    try and dictate policy about how I, personally, am going to raise my
>    children, they can get bent.
 
You're inviting the blue-helmets to call. :-}

Amos                                                       

    Better send a lot.  It's different here.

    re.last
    
    like 30 mil snipers

    
    GENEVA (Reuter) - The United Nations has barred 11 activist groups from
    attending an upcoming world conference on women's issues in Beijing
    after China and Iran objected to their presence.  Several Western dele-
    gates complained yesterday that the decision was made on political
    grounds.  Four other activist groups, which had been objected to, had
    their applications accepted.
                  

    
    The Pope has named Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon to head the
    Vatican delegation to the conference, which runs September 4-15.
    

    
>>    The Pope has named Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon to head the
>>    Vatican delegation to the conference, which runs September 4-15.

    er, that's "law professor and bimbo Mary Ann Glendon", thank you.
    

    
    WRONG!!!!  She's anti-abortion, therefore she is NO bimbo, tyvm!!!
    
    ;^)
    

    well they did say "harvard law professor..." :-)

    
    > er, that's "law professor and bimbo Mary Ann Glendon", thank you.
    
    eeerrrrr.....Lady Di, is there something about Ms. Glendon, that we
    should know?
    

    
>>    eeerrrrr.....Lady Di, is there something about Ms. Glendon, that we
>>    should know?

    Oy.  Dan, do try to keep up.  Ask Jack Martin why they're all bimbos.
    

    
    Oh, Jack called them bimbos, I thought you did.  If you had, I would
    have been VERY leery of her credentials....

    Oh...Eureka...thanks alot!!!!

Di, she's not just a bimbo, she's a lefty bimbo.

    
>>    Oh, Jack called them bimbos, I thought you did.

  Dan, if you ever hear me actually using the words "bimbo" or "broad" to
  describe a woman (not just quoting Jack), you have my permission to hunt
  me down and shoot me.  Or at the very least, slap me silly.

    
    Lady Di !  Perish the thought!  I'd never harm a hair on your head. 
    You are one of the nice people in here.  I also have a great deal of
    respect for your opinion, which is why I became concerned when you used
    such a derogatory term towards this woman.  If Lady Di doesn't like
    her, there has GOT to be a good reason!

    Hoover alert!

    
    Yup, m'Lady's not bad for a broad...... :')

    
    ...even though she's prone to girlish hissy fits.   ;^)
    

    She makes a mean pie crust.

    
    I make a cruel chili.
    

    
    
    Simple as I can put it, Di is a pleasure to be around.
    
    
    

I make sadistic spaghetti sauce.

    
    My iced coffee is a fugitive from justice.
    

    I make narcissistic nachos.

    I concoct a killer curry

    
    I make gentle reservations.
    
    

    <------ BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

	.29  ;>

    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhwwwwwwwwwwitz a jolly holiday with Diane....
    
    Diane makes me feel so right.....
    
    When the day is dark and ordinary....
    
    Diane makes me feel so bright.....

>>       <<< Note 348.35 by MKOTS3::JMARTIN "I press on toward the goal" >>>
    
>>    Diane makes me feel so bright.....

	oh lordy, there's a straight line if i ever saw one. ;>

	hi jack {smooch}

    Not really...I stole it from Mary Poppins!!!!
    
    The joys of having children!
    
    I'm always glad to hear we are on smooch terms even when I say things
    like bimbo!  

>>    Not really...I stole it from Mary Poppins!!!!

    yes, i recognized it, thanks.  that doesn't make it any less of
    a straight line though.  i'll explain it to you some day.  

    Why...did Mary Poppins swing the other way???

>>    Why...did Mary Poppins swing the other way???

	only if there was a tear in her umbrella.

    Did her umbrella cry often?

Can a lefty go to China and come back still a lefty?

Do they force visitors to write with their right hand?

    	I thought it was genetic.  At least, no matter how hard they 
    	tried to make my sister write with her right hand, she always
    	reverted back to her left.

    	Yup.  Reverted back.  Oh, they could make her use her right hand
    	while they were standing over her, but if anything they only
    	succeeded in helping her develop ambidexterity.  She's a lefty
    	through and through today.  Still.

    
    revert:  to come or go back.
    
    reverted back?
    
    

>Int'l Conference on Women

do any wymyns find this embarrasing/demeaning?

Chris.

    	re .47
    
    	Ok.  So take it to the topic of redundancy topic.
    
    	And post it twice.
    
    	:^)

    
    
    Will this "conference" accomplish anything besides filling the Chinese
    till with some card currency??

  It will give the media something to blather about and maybe get them
  off the OJ thing for a while.  

  Why are so many women so excited about going to this thing in a country
 where women have no choice in abortion and where baby women are routinely
 killed?



 Jim

    
    Perhaps someone believed that it might stir a little dissent within
    the PRC.  Certainly, China's a little on edge about the presence of
    the evyl outsiders.
    

    
    re: .52
    
    >Perhaps someone believed that it might stir a little dissent within
    >the PRC.
    
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
    
     Remember what happened the last time they tried it???
    
    It's amazing!! They're going to have a woman's conference in a country
    where there's... what? 500 million women?... and only a handful 
    (literally) will even know or hear about it...
    
      They'll have a grand old time... leave China all happy and smiling...
    vowing they accomplished so much... with that warm and fuzzy, good all
    over feeling... and nothing will have changed...
    
      The Emperor has no clothes... just a resume' filled with hypocrisy..
    

    Sometimes the human mind is an amazing thing, particularly in its
    capacity to collect with other like minds and by unspoken agreement
    enter into a mind-boggling display of rationalization and denial,
    all buying into a Big Lie, going through the motions, doing the
    little dance, and walking away with big smiles.  I wonder if they
    realize how absurd they look to anyone with the capacity for
    rational thought.
    
    Chris

re: Jim

>  Why are so many women so excited about going to this thing in a country

I was wondering about this myself. The only conclusion I could draw was
that the organizers were more self-satified with the fact that they could
pull off having the PRC host it than they were with any concern for any
positive outcomes.

    
    <------
    
    Jack,
    
      have you read about all the restrictions imposed on the "delegates"??
    
    These women woulda ripped the nads offa any other country that tried to
    do the same thing China is doing...
    
     I guess self-importance is better than self-worth...
    

>      have you read about all the restrictions imposed on the "delegates"??

No. I guess I can't claim that following the details of the story has been
particularly high on my priority list the past few days, Andy, what with
having discovered Spam and tomato sandwiches, and all.

>>having discovered Spam and tomato sandwiches, and all.

	on instant bread, no doubt.  

	i don't know what's become of you, jack, i really don't.
	i remain concerned.

    
    Jack,
    
     Anytime you want to come over and gobble a few of them down with some
    decent beer, you're more than welcome.... although it'll have to be on
    something other than instant or white bread....
    
    
     Deal??
    :)
    

    
    <-------
    
    Hmmmm.. you have a point there.... being as how most of them are
    probably "two-baggers" anyway....
    

    
    <--- {{{frown}}}
    
    

    He's talking about pocket books.  Some women carry so much stuff they
    need to carry two of 'em.

I thought he was referring to 2nd basepersons.

    
    re: .62
    
    >  <--- {{{frown}}}
    
    Is that because the statement is more truth than not, or because I was
    ever so "crass" to say it??
    
    re: .63
    
    Doubt I need it... and not for the conclusion you will so obviously
    jump to, but that I tend to spend as little time as possible in front
    of one... Hmmmmmmmm... maybe that qualifies me as a "two-bagger" then..
    
    Oh well... bring them "delegates" on then!!!!!!
    

    
    
    re: .65
    
    >I thought he was referring to 2nd basepersons.
    
    

    
    Andy, have you seen most of these women, or do you just assume that any
    woman who doesn't bow down to the patriarchy must be ugly?
    

    
    mz_deb...
    
    It'd be difficult for me to see all 40K.... but the sampling I did see
    left much to be desired (and I usually keep my mouth shut when it comes
    to stuff like that)...
    
     So... no, I didn't see "most" of the women...
    
    >who doesn't bow down to the patriarchy
    
    Which? The Chinese one or the rest of the world??
    

    
    The patriarchy, you know, the generic patriarchy, kind of like the
    ubiquitous they 8^).
    
    
    >I usually keep my mouth shut when it comes
    >to stuff like that
    
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  {cough, cough}
    
    8^)
    
    

    
    Hey, don't be hard on these women...
    

>    Hey, don't be hard on these women...
    
what a horrible idea...

Chris.

    
    re: .70
    
    Hey!!! When was the last time you know of that I used my "ugly
    finder"???
    
    Now... if you're talking about the the other end of the spectrum...
    
     :) :) :) :)
    

    
> I thought he was referring to 2nd basepersons.
    
    Are they 2nd basepersons in China because Wu's on first base? 
    

    
    quote from an article in today's Boston Globe (pg. 27) titled
    "Delegates bring ire, hopes to Beijing"
    
    "This will be the biggest, and I dare say most important, United
    Nations conference in history," said Gertrude Mongella, a Tanzanian
    diplomat and secretary general of the conference. "This is a conference
    for action."
    ------------------------------------
    
    BTW... the title is deceiving as is the first part of the article where
    the impression is that the conference is going to be in Beijing... as
    we all know, the conference got hustled out to the hinterland so as not
    to upset too many in the "patriarchy"...
    

    I think there should be an International Conference for Men.
    
    The forum would be a very large pub,and they`d be discussions on 
    George Best,the future of lager,films with lots of explosions in
    them and er,that sort of thing. For recreations purposes they`d
    be a darts board.
    
    
    
    
    

<---- I guess Martin will be the host! :-)

    
    > For recreations purposes they`d be a darts board.
    
    What now pool table?  
    No dancing gir...wait a minute....Int'l Conf....Never mind!
    

    A pool table would be allowed. Along with playing cards.
    
    Wimmin would be banned. Unless they`re "one of the lads" and not
    complain about crude language and beer bellies.
    

a jukebox with loads of Black Sabbath and Motorhead would provide fine
entertainment, too.  And they should serve nice greasy kebabs with loads
of chilli sauce in case anyone gets a bit peckish.

Chris.

>   BIGQ::SILVA "Diablo" 
   
>   <---- I guess Martin will be the host! :-)
    
    You Betcha !!! :*)

    
    Ah, you're here Martin.  Go over to the "birthday" topic and tell us
    when and where you were born.
    
    NOW!!!
    

  From New York: Don't take it personally, Chester ... it's THE
  TOP TEN LIST for Tuesday, September 6, 1995.  And now, your
  inner child's best friend ... David Letterman!
 
  From the home office in Grand Rapids, Michigan ...
 
TOP TEN THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE WORLD CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN
 
10. "Hey Reno, you left the seat up again"
    
    
 9. "Don't shove -- you'll all get a chance to slap Bob
    Packwood"
    
    
 8. "Anna Nicole Smith sure seems to be warming up to Deng
    Xiao Peng"
    
    
 7. "Are the men gone? Okay -- bring out the Tupperware!"
    
    
 6. "Is it true that every American woman must sleep with
    President Clinton?"
    
    
 5. "You used to date Martina? I used to date Martina!"
    
    
 4. "And now for your entertainment pleasure -- the Chippendale
    Dissident Dancers!"
    
    
 3. "Hi, I'm Larry King, here's my phone number, how do you do,
    I'm Larry King, here's my number"
    
    
 2. "Mrs. Mandela, quit hogging the cookie dough"
    
    
 1. "What's Richard Simmons doing here?"
 
        [Music: "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy]
 
 
Compiled by Sue Trowbridge
 
          ----------------------------------------
               LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
               11:35 p.m. ET/PT (10:35 CT/MT)
               on the CBS Television Network
          ----------------------------------------
 
             On Wednesday's show, Dave welcomes
 
             ...actor PATRICK SWAYZE
             ...musical group HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH
             ...actor KEVIN POLLAK
 
The Top Ten List is Copyright (C) 1995 Worldwide Pants, Incorporated.
Used with permission.